In a bid to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity, the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) has proposed a 26-kilometre elevated corridor linking Thane to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

The project is expected to offer a seamless transit route, reducing travel time and bolstering accessibility to the new airport.

Test flights at the Navi Mumbai International Airport have already been successfully conducted, and flight operations are slated to commence in June.

To support this development, CIDCO and the Civil Aviation Ministry are advancing plans for key infrastructure projects, including this elevated corridor, which will serve as a crucial link between Thane and NMIA.

Currently, three main routes connect Thane and Ulwe, where NMIA is located. These include Thane-Belapur Road, extending approximately 35 km beyond Belapur Fort; Eastern Express Highway/Mumbai-Agra Road, which merges with Thane-Belapur Road at Airoli; and an extension of Thane-Belapur Road via Vashi, which provides access through Palm Beach Road and continues from Belapur Fort to Ulwe, covering 46 km.

The proposed elevated roadway aims to significantly cut down travel time between Thane and the airport, bypassing existing congestion points. To accelerate the project, CIDCO has floated tenders to appoint a DPR Peer Review Consultant for the access-controlled Thane-NMIA Elevated Corridor.

The corridor will be constructed in two segments. A 17-km elevated highway will stretch from Dhan Nirankari Chowk near Patni Maidan in Digha to Palm Beach Road in Vashi, running parallel to Thane-Belapur Road.

Additionally, a 9-km double-decker elevated road will connect Palm Beach Road directly to NMIA.

The project is estimated to cost around ₹8,000 crore. However, due to the scale of the development, approvals, land acquisition, and environmental clearances are expected to be time-consuming. CIDCO officials have indicated that it is currently difficult to set a definitive timeline for the project’s commencement and completion.

With the Navi Mumbai International Airport set to open in June, the elevated corridor is expected to play a pivotal role in streamlining connectivity between Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai.